14/04/2013

How to negotiate the best salary.

This is commonly one of the first questions you're asked
when interviewing for a new job. Employers want to get this question out in the
open for a few reasons:

-They want to get
a general sense if you're willing to work at or below the top of their pay
scale for a given job.

-They are in
effect, asking you to negotiate against yourself, at the point in discussions
when you have the least negotiating leverage. Job hunters are often at a loss
(figuratively and literally) trying to both get the job and obtain the highest
possible compensation. Here's how to do it:

1. Be responsive, but
don't commit early on. Talk about your current and/or recent compensation
level. Make certain to distinguish between "base" and "net"
salary. Then, pivot the focus away from salary to talk about the real purpose
of the discussion at this stage, from your perspective: To determine if you and
the employer make a great fit.

through industry research and other
sources. You need to level the "information battleground" as best as
you can. Research from industry sources and colleagues for the salary levels,
both within your prospective employer and within the industry, for your
position, and your level of experience.

3. Figure out the
optimum salary for yourself. The first rule of negotiations is that sellers
always have some level below which they will not sell--but no maximum on what
they're willing to receive. For buyers, it is the opposite. As a buyer, you
aren't likely to say, "I'm not willing to paying less than X" for
whatever you're buying. But buyers do have an upper limit of what they're
willing to pay.

When you're negotiating for a position, you are the seller
of your services, and the company is the buyer. Barring other factors, like
other jobs you might accept or other candidates the employer might hire, there
is a whole range of possible salary numbers that could be mutually acceptable.
That zone is anything between the upper limit of what the company is willing to
pay, and, at the same time, anything above the lowest amount you're willing to
accept.

Chances are, you will never have perfect information to
determine your optimum salary, but as you do your research, you can approach
it.

4. Talk about
creating fairness and finding common ground. Remember that it is imperative
to always keep a friendly tone, and base your arguments on objective facts, not
your particular needs or desires. At this point, don’t talk about trivial
issues like your high rent, transport, or food expenses, since frankly, all the
employer cares about is whether the skills you bring to the table will be
commensurate with the salary (s)he is willing to pay you. You can go far by
asking probing questions with a smile on your face. In the course of your
discussion you might use statements and questions like these:

"You know, I'm excited about doing this job, and I'd
love to work here. But I'm curious if you could explain the basis of why you're
offering X shillings?"

If they can't come up with anything compelling, this is when
you bring your research to the fore:

"I know that you've had the opportunity to review many
resumes and interview other candidates. I'm really flattered and thrilled that
you think I'm a better fit than my competition. Given all that, I've been
looking to figure out what a fair level of compensation would be. Salary survey
'such and such' suggests that there is a range of X to Y for this kind of work
in this geographic area, with an average of Z. I'm sure you and I agree at this
point that I'm far better than average at doing this work. Wouldn't it be fair
to expect compensation that would reflect that shared judgment?

Of course, there can be counter arguments, and alternate
facts will enter into the discussion. But when you negotiate based on facts and
principles rather than whims and desires, you show yourself to be reasonable
and a solid professional. It is really hard at this point to argue against
fairness, and you're well on your way to getting the highest possible
compensation for the value you bring to your new job.